Sani said this in a telephone chat with Saturday PUNCH on
Friday.
The senator had referred to an interview granted by the
Kaduna State governor in December 2016, in which he reportedly said his
government had traced some “violent and aggrieved” Fulani to their countries
and had paid them to stop their attacks on southern Kaduna natives, stating
that the renewed violence was being carried out by bandits.
Sani, however, said, “He (the governor) should tell the
country from which budget he paid the herdsmen. In all his submissions, there
is no issue of the herdsmen. So, from which budget did he pay them?”
The lawmaker also buttressed his point in a message to our
correspondent via WhatsApp.
The message read, “The call for National Assembly to open
its book is legitimate and morally right. I believe the leadership of the
National Assembly is listening and the disclosure by Speaker Dogara is timely.
“The general public should not be deceived by Kaduna
governor’s stunts and public presentation of his work of fiction he calls
security vote. Whoever can believe that a state governor lives on less than
half a million naira monthly is either hypnotised, dazzled or high on an
inebriant.
“If you are convinced that Kaduna State governor
transparently spent his security votes on CCTV cameras, visit Kaduna if you
will ever see one security camera. If you are convinced that the Kaduna
governor transparently spent his security votes on the police, please ask him
from which of the votes does he pay the herdsmen?”
He added, “The Nigerian public cannot know who is a saint or
a sinner in power; it always has to take men out of power for the public to
know what exists beneath the throne. Nigeria’s lost wealth is not just in Swiss
banks and Dubai real estate; it’s not just hidden in cesspit holes and in dusty
ceilings; it’s in the files of the conduct bureau well protected by the law of
secrecy.
“Apart from President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President
Yemi Osinbajo, no other vendor of change is willing to publicly declare their
assets.”
Sani’s challenge came at a time el-Rufai had engaged the
National Assembly in a transparency contest.
El-Rufai had challenged the National Assembly to provide
details on its opaque N115bn annual budget.
By Leke Baiyewu
